Diets of Dakar
The Diets of Dakar are a series of nine religious rituals that heavily influenced the period of history in which they occurred. These rituals are generally seen as a barter between the hosting aristocracy and some inscrutable, sojourning benefactor. The Diets have thus far only been held by the reigning party of a society; whether or not these Diets are only possible by the aristocracy is unknown. There are only nine Diets of Dakar confirmed by modern historians, though early accounts claim there have been hundreds by the late Dinamid Republic. The hosts of the Diet of Dakar comply by carrying out a series of taboo rituals involving human sacrifice, cannibalism, and torture, as well as arbitrary practices involving prime numbers, household fixtures, and peculiar incantations. Most of the details of this ritual are obscure. It's unlikely however that these rites were passed by oral tradition at any time, given the apparent complexity of its preparation and execution. It is apparent that manuscripts do exist, and several illuminated pages have been furtively removed from their source, comprising much of what is known about the process. Thus far, the nine Diets of Dakar in chronological order are the Yagnothane Diet, the Diet of Cannor, the Diet of Wine, the Arcane Diet, the Diet of Winds, the Nycalan Diet, the Diet of Deserving Blue, the Diet of Memories, the Mercurial Diet, and the Ultimate Diet. Evidence Divination efforts The most significant pieces of evidence regarding the existence of these ceremonies come from the efforts of divination. Clairvoyants are able to pick up "residue" of the Diets of Dakar as they happen and for a short time afterwards, manifesting in severe headaches, fevers, fits, and most notably, blindness. Once these symptoms cease, the clairvoyants are capable of describing the most recent Diet with a degree of detail. These include the name of the Diet of Dakar, what objective is being petitioned to the benefactor, and what was given to the hosting party. In addition, more patient and capable diviners can also determine who the hosting party was, where it took place, and even what was sacrificed to the benefactor. Most information regarding the Diets of Dakar come from such records, the details of which remain consistent across separate attempts. Illuminated manuscripts Thus far, sixteen pages of an illuminated manuscript have been uncovered, six of which contain actual illustrations. Though their authenticity is dubious, divination performed upon these pages consistently verify their genuine nature. These pages come from multiple sources, and are divided into three groups: the Tey-Mirebed Manuscripts, the Obelisk Manuscripts, and Saint Leon's Illustration. Tey-Mirebed Manuscripts The Tey-Mirebed Manuscripts include eight sequential pages, three illustrated, and are with absolute certainty from late Perthic Perepolis. The artwork is similar to Mythic Age illumination, however the artwork is definitively from the onset of Dinamid rule over Perepolis given that it is written in Dwarvish. These pages depict various states of the ritual, and describe the preparation, live incineration, and finally cannibalism of human subjects as an essential part of the Diets of Dakar. These pieces of the manuscripts mention both the Cult of Moloch and to "the Frozen God," often interpreted as Levistus. Surprisingly, in these documents there is no mention of Nebonyses the Great, or any specific Perthic entities for that matter. Obelisk Manuscripts The Obelisk Manuscripts are six pages, five sequential and one extraneous and illuminated page, written in Merovian Common, that discuss the exact and somewhat arbitrary specifications of the "dead theater" and "talking obelisk" must be made to in order to host a Diet of Dakar. The "dead theater" as it is described is a massive underground amphitheater that is designed for the bodies of the sacrifices to be placed, with thousands of seats for sacrifices and all in specific positions, ranging from seated with their left arm wrapped across their torso, to leaning forward with their skull in their hands as if in distress. The "talking obelisk" is written about in the extraneous page, in which an obelisk is to be built of certain dimensions, with its materials being reduced in exact measurements of time (notably, the iron must only be heated for the "length of time it takes for a lamb with a slit throat to cease its cries,"). Of note is the illuminated image which appears to reference the missing page opposite to the recovered document, which features snarling statues of Muzdash bulls warding off a clearly frightened devlish figure. What this page describes is unknown, though its artwork suggests the Manuscript was created in Perepolis while under the rule of Ascanium. Saint Leon's Manuscript The final Manuscript, a single illuminated page from modern day, features a horned figure, presumably a cambinoid, wielding a sword and speaking with what appears to be a king or military commander flanked by a supporting army. The document is brief and only discusses what race the sacrifices should be, noting that while most sacrifices can be of any race, certain stages of the later rituals require family members of the performing party, cambinoids, and pure humans. What is worthy of note in this manuscript is that it is clearly a production of Saint Leon, as it is created in his signature style of illumination and is written in Merovian Common. Though there is no evidence of any further illumination on part of Saint Leon, nor if this page is simply a reproduction of another page Saint Leon found and replicated, many scholars have suggested that it is possible Saint Leon is responsible for creating an entire folio given his years abroad in Perepolis. Such a folio has not been found. Origins Cult of Moloch Little information exists regarding the origin of the Diet of Dakar. It appeared spontaneously at the onset of the Caliphate of Perth. Name The name Diet of Dakar is a partially translated phrase from Muzdash Infernal. Though diet is a roughly accurate translation of halataja, "dinner-party" or "invitation" would be equally valid. The much more singular Dakar is of dubious meaning. It has no equivalent in any dialect of Infernal, and is likely a borrowed word from another even earlier language. The closest word is the phrase ngdakaarzu, an ancient word from Espios of Preliturgy that roughly translates to "foreign god," or "rival god." Emissaries and Replication By the virtue of striking a barter with a Diet of Dakar, the host is bequeathed an emissary called a yugoloth. The closest translation of this term is "emissary" or "diplomat" but it is recognized that it is not as formal as the name would imply. The yugoloth is a physical manifestation of both the sacrifices made by the host, as well as being a clear indication of how the "guest" will be fulfilling their end of the bargain. The emissary itself is the way the Diet of Dakar both affects world events as well as the sole product of the Diet itself. The yugoloth is typically quite intelligent, innately magical, and having enough presence to be able to fulfill demands of their new masters quite easily, or becoming the masters themselves. The nature of the bargain allows for a process of "replication" in which an emissary that has been destroyed can be summoned anew without striking further bargains. The sacrifices necessary to renew the deal do not impose upon the host save for one caveat: their own life is forfeit, and they need a significant following and sacrifices to insist upon a renewed Diet of Dakar. However, the entity as it returns is not nearly as potent as its original, and if the original purpose has been fulfilled, then it has few strengths that would give enough reason to replicate as opposed to host a new Diet. List of Diets of Dakar The following is a list of every known Diet of Dakar, with details ascertained from clairvoyance as well as a number of supplementary details to aid the understanding of what the purpose and what the result of each Diet of Dakar entailed. The Yagnothane Diet Conditions Taking place sometime around 400 NCE, the Yagnothane Diet was the petitioning of Zadeh I to reunite the empire of the late King Nebonyeses the Great. The fifty years following his death were of toil and immense bloodshed, with the city of Perepolis constantly under siege by neighboring city-states, especially Gozadak. Zadeh I lost two of her sons in battle, and it is likely the Diet took place shortly after the second son's death. The queen petitioned for peace between the city-states and that the Muzdash Empire could be recreated with Perepolis as the new capitol, and offered the lives of every future female heir to her lineage. It is almost certain that the actual structure is somewhere underneath where Perepolis once stood, potentially in the House of Wisdom. Immediate Result The result of the Diet was the gift of the Yagnothane, a yagnoloth demon with massive wings like a buzzard, a stature taller than any living man, magical powers, the ears of a bat, and impossible strength. It is also sometimes recorded that one arm was of significant size, and more comparable to that of a giant than one that belonged to a man. Legacy The Yagnothane was incredibly useful in diplomatic proceedings that were critical in the formation of the Caliphate of Perth. The yagnoloth was well-spoken, intelligent, and a marvelous writer, and whose skill in calligraphy is responsible for the haja-saq Perthas, a product of his own skills in typography. The Yagnothane represented Perepolis, and later all of Perth, in missions of peace, declarations of war, and other efforts. The powers of the Yagnothane were thus that few stood to defy the terms set by Perepolis, though taking from the history of Nebonyses, were more fair than despotic. The Yagnothane was by no means more powerful than the gods of the then-independent city-states, but possessed such a grasp of language and diplomacy that the missions were almost always met with success, with one notable example of defiance being the death of the King of Nassur when the Yagnothane "crushed him with his fist into a pile of bone fragments painted red." The Yagnothane acted as an ambassador for the Caliphate up into the Epicurean War, in which it was killed by Tyranno the Great. According to military accounts, the body was thrown into the Arpasian Sea, where it was never recovered. The Diet of Cannor Conditions In the year 189 NCE, the Perthic caliph ''Haslen the Proud had growing concerns over the security of Perepolis during the Truceless War. After being evacuated from Perepolis during the latter half of the siege, the ''caliph was distressed over the sanctity and security of the priceless relics in the House of Wisdom. Haslen the Proud would take precautions to ensure that the priceless artifacts and heirlooms of Perth would not be obtainable to anyone but the cambinoid race, particularly the azure-skinned royal family. In this Diet of Dakar, Haslen the Proud requested a safe place to keep the most precious of Perth's sacred treasures. Haslen the Proud would go on to have all 211 women in his harem sacrificed for the Diet of Cannor, which took place in the village of Cannor near the Red Cape. He would also go on to bargain the very lives of the Perthic people to ensure the treasury would remain safe. Immediate Result The Diet of Cannor produced the canoloth, a heavily armored beast with an enormous mouth lined with thousands of needle-like teeth. It also had a grotesquely long tongue that was coated in thorns. Though it has never been seen in person, its visage appeared to Haslen the Proud, who was given a vision of both the creature and the location of the relics. The valuables within the House of Wisdom were immediately transported to a secret location described in later reliefs as duat, the Red Sanctuary. Even though Perepolis has been occupied multiple times since then, its location has never been discovered. Legacy Haslen the Proud kept the location of the Red Sanctuary a well-guarded secret only passed down verbally from heir to heir. When the last known descendent of the Perthic royal family was killed by the Falian King Xa'al in CE 419, so too died the knowledge of where the duat ''was truly located. Some speculations have cited Cannor as a possible location, others Neuphany, but nothing concrete has ever been established. Treasure hunters and adventurers continue to search for the ''duat ''even today. The wealth of Perth's treasury has yet to be recovered. Diet of Wine Conditions Syphepex, the first emir of Lonen and later first ''pruba of Kasmir, was vengeful towards two major civilizations: the Dinamid Republic, and the Perthic Caliphate. Throughout his life, he protected his former master who was a priest of Moloch, as he had treated him with unprecedented hospitality and even gave him a proper education. After the Truceless War (as part of the Perthic Wars), Syphepex's unnamed master granted him a compiled document detailing how to perform a Diet of Dakar as a show of gratitude. Syphepex, after impregnating Talimina the Wicked, offered the life of his firstborn son, the heir to a great fortune and having the sacred blood of a powerful magician. Syphepex also sacrificed hundreds, possibly thousands, of dragon-men to supplement his offering. Syphepex asked for his son's sole purpose to not be for prosperity of Kasmir nor for the continuing of his bloodline, but to exact revenge on his two greatest enemies of Perth and Dinam. Immediate Result Syphepex's firstborn son was named Attaca, who would become the famed Attacus Rex. As an oinoloth, Attaca could bring plague to all who he touched and all places he tread. However, under the tutelage of his father, Attaca became a legendary strategist and Perthic commander, who succeeded his father after his untimely death. Attaca was a wrinkled, blistered, ram-horned Omerad of great size "with fangs like a demon, and eyes of unholy oscillating reds" according to Qemuel. Legacy Out of all the Diets of Dakar, the Diet of Wine perhaps had the greatest impact on world history. The Second Perthic War was a sole consequence of Attaca's ambitions. Attacus Rex not only devastated multiple regions of Dinam for centuries thereafter, the events that occurred as a direct consequence gave rise to multiple noble houses, led to the death of the dragon Kulshedrex, solidified rule of Kasmir under Dinam, led to the fall of the Caliphate of Perth, and kicked off the Magdamolia. Even later oinoloths have never produce such significance as Attacus Rex, and today he remains as one of the world's greatest strategists, and most legendary Diets of Dakar. The Arcane Diet Conditions After more than three decades of war to secure Cascadia, the Auber emperor Ilneval uncovered the methods to perform a Diet of Dakar in the ruins of Perepolis. Ilneval had the massive stone tablets and reliefs brought to White Harbor, and thereafter the Diet was held in the Fluorspar Keep. Ilneval held that Orcus must be the entity that is behind such a powerful endeavor, as such rituals in the past have served to liberate those of silver blood almost in exclusivity. Under the Falian heel in Arcadia, Ilneval secured enough slaves and stock of cambinoid citizens to bargain for a nation independent of all but silver rule. This bargain was also struck with the understanding that he would not ask for the fall of other states, and that Ilneval was doing this only in the glory of his god Orcus, and that he held no other before his deity. Ilneval asked for a leader to bring them liberty and proper law under Orcus, and in exchange for his position and being deposed to ignoble status, he would accept any being that would arrive, so long as they were reverent to Orcus. It was completed CE 493. Immediate Result The emissary created was the arcanoloth, the Jackal King. Among the most important figures in history, particularly for the Auber, the Jackal King quickly organized most of the orcs and orogs in Cascadia to build fleets of ships and sail for a New World, far to the West. They abandoned most of their stock and cities, leaving behind only those who were especially wealthy and established to defend their land. This was a risky endeavor, but Ilneval obeyed and commanded his people to obey. This led to widespread enslavement and conquering of Cascadia by both humans and gith. White Harbor fell, as well as several key cities along the southern coast, which caused fracturing of the Auber nation-state in the province. Finally, an Auber patrician named Shargaas led a praetorian revolt and forever divided the orcs of Cascadia from their brothers and sisters that fled west. Legacy The state of Vostok Manda was a direct result of this ritual. The Jackal King settled on the coast, consolidated and centralized power, and finally fomed the cohesive state as it is known today. After some centuries, he mustered forces and led a full-scale campaign against the Old World to expand Vostok Manda and to rightfully assert himself as lord of the Auber everywhere. Despite Ilneval's bargain, the Jackal King was far from the isolationist. He not only consorted with warmongering, he also steadied himself and organized a Diet of Dakar of his own: the Diet of Winds. The Diet of Winds Conditions The only Diet of Dakar to be a feedback loop and be created by the emissary yugoloth itself, the Jackal King prepared his army to invade the Old World in CE 611. The cyclical nature of an emissary ordering this Diet has raised a number of questions. Not only does this Diet contradict an earlier bargain made by Ilneval to remain isolationist, it also appears that no actual sacrifice was made by the Jackal King other than his oath to immolate himself should he let his emissary perish. The Jackal King asked for an entity that would benefit his war-driven goals. In exchange, he received the "recursive yugoloth," who came to also be called Wind-Raker. The name of the entity is in reference to the saying, "those who sew the wind, reap the whirlwind." Immediate Result With the "recursive yugoloth" in his command, the Jackal King was able to field large numbers of powerful yugoloths under command of Wind-Raker. Wind-Raker was able to replicate lesser forms of itself to help supplement the Jackal King's Army. The yugoloths under Wind-Raker emboldened the Jackal King to begin his sail East to invade the Old World, beginning the first of his invasion attempts of Arborea. Legacy Of all the Diets of Dakar, the Diet of Winds perhaps had the least impact on the history of the Old World. Wind-Raker and its various iterations of itself were nearly unstoppable in the escalation of war, however in naval conflicts and in close quarters, the yugoloths left much to be desired. After Wind-Raker was slain by Robaerigon, attempts to field his iterations resulted in the Diet of Dakar failing to provide the "recursive" nature it had once fulfilled. Ultimately, Wind-Raker would become a footnote rather than a chapter in history. The Nycalan Diet Conditions Immediate Result Legacy The Diet of Deserving Blue Conditions Immediate Result Legacy The Diet of Memories Conditions Immediate Result Legacy The Mercurial Diet Conditions Immediate Result Legacy The Ultimate Diet Conditions Immediate Result Legacy